What men live by and other tales - Leo Tolstoy

For readers who might not make it through lengthier tomes such as War and Peace and Anna Karenina, these short stories provide and excellent taste of the works of one of the world's greatest literary figures. Leo Tolstoy is a provocative author who asks us to think about what really matters while spinning entertaining tales of simple people. This nice little collections of short stories provides much wisdom in the short fable form.

The story of "What Men Live By" teaches valuable lessons about love, compassion, and how to accept forgiveness. "The Three Questions" is a parable about a king searching, for answers to the three most important questions in life.

Through an elaborate metaphor involving the sun, "The Coffee House of Surat" deals with the idea of religious assurance.

Finally, "How Much Land Does a Man Need" describes the fate of a man who let greed get the best of him.